The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1887-05-28
CAMELEON.

! "What l am astonished at is your
power over the confirmed bachelors"
said Feiina Drake. "You are too
young for that; but something COM
pensates, evidently.
Nelly, whom some of her friends
called Camsleon, was sitting over the
fire in her private parior, discussing
her various lovers with Feiina. Fortu-
nately Felina was engaged to be mar
| ried, and was not in a position to feel,
envy or to watch unsympathetically
the preliminary steps toward an en-
gageMent on the part of her friend. 1t
was an event which she eagerly de-
sired, that they might be entirely mu-
tual in their experiences. Feliua might
have been jealous Of the CameIeon's
beauty; but the young girl was Of that
charming class of lovely women whose
members appeal to their own sex by
their perfect good nature and childlike
innocence.
81 can tell you how that happens"
the Cameleon responded, in her cheer-
ful voice. "Clever Mr.. Courtney told
me that my face would last well, and
that he had seen hundreds of bellies
fade in n few seasons, which had al
most made a misanthrope of him."
"Well, I think it was fine distiuc-
tion," Felina acquiesced. 'sYounger
men don't think of that, and fancy
that what is chiefly youth is downright
beauty. But your precious countenance
will certainly mature to its credit, and
1 can't imagine you anything but ex-
ceIlent, whether time pulls your face
perpendicularly or horizontalIy! Plump
or thin, pale or rosy, Cameleon, it will
be sure to remain face to conquer
everybody"
Nelly sighed.
care you sorry for any hing ?" asked
Felins.
"Why, it seems rather laborious,"
the young belle answered. s'You see,
have got to accept one of them-these
inevitable men-and it is so hard O
choose. There are so many professions
represented, for one thing. The hand
soonest and most fascinating of all my
admirers, in way, is Mr. Bruce-Ly-
man and you will admit that his being
in preparation for fashionable doctor
of medicine is fatal. 1 had not been
engaged to him for two days, Felina U
never told you that I did accept him
at frst), when he prescribed for little
cough which quite enjoyed and would
not have had cured for the world. But
it was so lucky! l might have actually
married him and heard all nv life
about drugs"
Nelly discussed her friends hand
embroidery for q moment and then
continued: 81 suppose I rushed TO the
other extreme after breaking with the
doctor, for 1 allowed Mr.. William Fen
imore TO give me an exhaustive cata.
iogue of his qualifications for making
me a good husband. lie has all his
time to himself until he inherits from
his father, when he must devote some
attention to the estates; and he said
that we could travel oil over the world,
and that he did not need any society
but mine, and should be happy in
China if i were his wife. 1t looked to
me like too much leisure, you know
and | was afraid that he had passion
for travelling, and that should become
a thorough Arab If married him. How
could l employ Rediern IN Asia? l
decided positively against Mr.. Feni.
more. When Mr.. Dalsian offered him
self l was very much puzzled. Here
was fine social position, in which l
should probably have been a leader
from beginning to end, and gone down
in civic history as the beautiful Mrs.
Dalgian, who entertained the elite OF
both hemispheres with such consum-
mate grace. Mr.. Dalgiau is not by any
means uninteresting. 1 often think of
him, and the flowers he sent me were
something astonishing, Felina; they
showed such imaginative taste; and he
insisted on my keeping this ring as an
act Of charity. Isn't il beautiful: He
made his family call upon me, and
seemed to think that he had accom-
piished Il great work for his century
when they had paid me their respects.
But oh, Eelina, / could not endure
those Miss Dalgians. ] was afraid /
should grow 10 be like them, They
seemed 10 be inconvenicnced by their
anceators, as if they had them still
with them, and in "a particularly para
lyZed condition, either as ghosts or
mummies; and they neither looked to
the right nor TO the left for fear of
catching sight of one of the old cur
mudgeons. 1t was such a pity, but /
had to tell Mr.. Dalgiau that 1 could
not think of ii-that / was too fond of
the present"
| 81 must say, Cameleon, that it is